The Surprising Fact About Many London Buildings

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London Yellow Stock Bricks: A Cornerstone of British Architecture
London Yellow Stock bricks are an iconic element of British architecture, particularly in the capital.
Their distinctive yellowish hue has contributed to the city's architectural identity, shaping the appearance of many historical and contemporary buildings.
London Yellow Stock bricks originated in the 18th and 19th centuries and were predominantly used to construct residential and commercial buildings.
The production of these bricks was closely tied to the clay and chalk-rich subsoils found in the Thames Basin.
The raw materials' specific geological composition and the unique firing process resulted in bricks with a characteristic yellow colour and varied tones, ranging from pale cream to a deeper buff.
One of the key factors behind the widespread use of London Yellow Stock bricks was their durability.
These bricks were fired in traditional clamp kilns, which allowed for a range of temperatures and created a dense and hard-wearing structure.
This robustness suited them to London's weather conditions, offering excellent resistance to the damp and frost typical of the British climate.
The aesthetic appeal of London Yellow Stock bricks is another reason for their enduring popularity.
Their mellow, variegated tones lend a distinctive warmth and texture to buildings, creating a visually appealing contrast with other materials such as red bricks or stone.
This aesthetic quality has made them a favourite among architects and builders, contributing to their use in numerous notable structures, including Georgian terraces, Victorian townhouses, and various public buildings.
In addition to their aesthetic and practical qualities, London Yellow Stock bricks have historical significance.
They are closely associated with the period of rapid urban expansion and industrialisation in London during the 19th century.
Many buildings from this era, including working-class housing, factories, and warehouses, were constructed using these bricks.
As such, they are an integral part of the city's architectural heritage, reflecting its industrial past and the evolution of its urban landscape.
Today, the demand for London Yellow Stock bricks continues, driven by their historic value and unique appearance.
They are often used in restoration projects to maintain the authenticity of period properties.
Modern manufacturing techniques have also produced new bricks that replicate the traditional look and feel, ensuring their continued relevance in contemporary architecture.
The enduring appeal of London Yellow Stock bricks lies in their practicality, aesthetic charm, and historical significance.
They are more than just a building material; they symbolise London's architectural heritage, embodying the city's history and contributing to its unique urban character.
Whether in old Victorian houses or modern restorations, these bricks are a testament to traditional craftsmanship's timeless quality.
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[@surfcitiz]

It's probably the most interesting video ever made about London stock bricks, told by an experienced builder with fantastic storytelling skills. Thank you!

[@SkillBuilder]

Wow, thanks! I am never sure about these type of videos. I record them and then I am full of self doubt as I watch them back. I am glad that some people like them.

[@grahamrankin]

@@SkillBuilder Superb Roger---really interesting and an important record of history and development in our capital city. Thank you so much.

[@kendom33]

Completely agree

[@pietmondrianstudent6984]

I totally agree!

[@josephclift3662]

You brought back fond memories for me of playing on bomb sites in London. I can still smell the cement dust and see the holes in the ground that were once basements. We would throw masonry at each other, recreating WWII battles. Lol. No one thought to tell us off or tell us not to go on the bomb sites. Or maybe they did and we didn't listen. On a side note, my gran would describe any untidy room as looking like a bomb site or as if a bomb had hit it. Thanks for this gem of a video

[@spanishjohn420]

Never would have thought I would watch a 20min video about bricks but that was bloody interesting mate actually

[@mickc7388]

A brilliant vid, cant whack a yellow stock brick.

[@TS-1267]

... Indubitably So Old Bean 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿✌️ 7:53

[@chimster1234]

Yes same here😂

[@iansmalley7215]

spanish was a key ingredient for London Stock bricks

[@thomas2much601]

The man is a very good commentator the Way he sets it all out makes it so easy to understand and appreciate the inheritance that we have in buildings

[@daveluck5717]

Indeed !

[@TheFixer79]

Just got home from the pub, watched a 20 minute video about bricks in another city and was fascinated the whole time. Awesome stuff.

[@yverose8355]

Ha ha same!!

[@noelht1]

Me too ❤

[@andrewshore2898]

That was surprisingly engaging. There was no waffle. The man obviously knows his subject, and he was straight in there!

[@jmshrrsn]

The BBC or someone needs to put people like you on TV. I might even go back and pay a TV Licence as a consequence. Absolutely brilliant video. Fascinating, informative, humorous (“poor builder, if there’s such a thing”!), articulate, and most of all, genuine. Thank you.

[@twig3288]

Agree with everything except paying for a licence fee, the BBC is too far gone

[@verybigheart]

Haven’t watched any broadcast TV nor needed a TV license in 17 years. It’s obsolete.

[@stevedawson4928]

Agree but Roger would be wasted on a poor broadcaster like the bbc

[@tims9434]

Just shows how much better individuals are at creating entertainment than the BBC rubbish we get.

[@DS-fo4ed]

Unlikely. They’re too preoccupied with rainbow and alphabet people and issues. Fantastic video

[@mikmerl1]

I am an architect in Greece and I absolutely loved your video. We don't have many bare brick buildings in my country and I'm always fascinated by the beautiful buildings I see when I visit London

[@Jessto10]

Been a Builder,( started as a Bricklayer,) for nearly 45 years, coming from the midlands nearly all our bricks are red. Always loved those yellow stocks when visiting London, something less harsh and in your face about them. Great video roger.

[@SkillBuilder]

Thanks Jess.

[@michaelbacon561]

I agree, I've always liked that yellow hue. Sadly, in some trendier areas of London there was a time when it was the thing to paint them twee colours. Once that is done, its not easy to get the natural brick colour back.

[@georgerobartes2008]

The vast majority of the London stocks were actually produced in the vast brickfields in the Medway towns region in Kent . The yellow stocks from the upper Gault clays were first produced by George Smead ( Smead and Dean ) of Sittingbourne. The coal dust and clinker ( burnt clay found naturally in coal ) would be collected from industrial and domestic fires and travel by barge along the Thames to the brickfields , combined with the local clays and calcareous deposits , stocked and clamp fired loaded onto barges and shipped back up river to London. At times of war, these barge loads of yellow stocks would find themselves being beached and off loaded around our coasts to build the fortifications that fended off Napoleon as in our famous Martello Towers , each one taking around 1 million bricks to build. The autoclave technique of brick firing caused a chemical reaction within the brick that not only made the brick lighter but also harder making it highly suitable to resistant impact from cannon fire. The calcareous material combined with fine wind blown glaciel clay deposits ( Loess ) from the upper Gualts gave the bricks that creamy yellow colour. The London bricks would later be named after the old brick works of Rainham, Sittingbourne, Funton , Otterham etc , of the North Kent coast .

[@harveysmith100]

Thank you George, that was wonderful information. I spent three years in Felixstowe as a child and remember a Martello Tower in the middle of the golf course there.

[@peterthebricky]

I met an old brickie in the early 80s who told me that before the war he would go with his father to Kent for the winter to make stocks by hand

[@harveysmith100]

@@peterthebricky I can remember going for a job down near Dorking to make hand made stocks.

[@nickbarber2080]

An archaeologist friend told me they would also mix "night soil" as a binder and also as part of the combustion process....he showed us the spherical bubbles and blow-outs formed in the brick where this gasified and vented out of the clay.

[@georgerobartes2008]

@@harveysmith100 The one near the little ferry that takes you across to Bawdsey Manor , Tower Q I think . I used to take my son there when he was small .Still has the golf course, the beach and ferry and Ferry Boat pub just a short walk away and still popular with families.

[@Doug....]

I found that absolutely fascinating Roger. Thanks for all that historic information 👍👍👍

[@gofres]

I never thought I'd be enjoying a program about bricks. But here I'm am, fascinated!

[@KenFullman]

When I was learning my trade as a bricklayer (back in the 60s) I recall hearing that, during the blitz, most houses in London would have lime mortar. This was a blessing because it would allow walls to bounce back after being hit by the shock wave from a nearby bomb. Some walls, they reconed had moved by upto a foot and simply bounced back like the skin of a drum. Whereas anything constructed from sand and cement, in the same circumstaces would simply shatter and bring the whole building down. The red rubbers you mention were part of that Dutch influence you mentioned. These were generally used for "guaged" brickwork. Where very fine and ornate brickwork would be included in the facade. Artificial columns could be moulded into the reveals around windows etc. This moulding would be performed by, literally, rubbing them down to the shapes required for the job at hand. It's for this reason that they were intentionally made much softer than your average brick. This made red rubbers a natural choice for flat arches where the taper of each brick could be carefully controlled. In fact, it was quite common to have flat arches supplied as "kits" where all the bricks were rubbed to shape off site, then delivered, with all the bricks neatly numbered, ready for a bricklayer to simply put them in place.

[@nickbarber2080]

I worked with a man who was in a house near where a V1 landed...he said the whole house jumped a foot in the air and landed back again. The plaster all came down but the house still stood. A lot of old houses are still a bit wonky because of this.

[@gee3883]

Nice to hear a bricklayer who actually has some knowledge of the trade.

[@robertallen8715]

@@nickbarber2080 Called the Luftwaffe shuffle i believe.

[@Fred-rj3er]

Wow! Thank you all for the WW2 bits. This stuff really needs recording before it gets forgotten and lost. So good to learn. I know a good few years ago, I was sat in my computer in the early hrs of the morning and for some reason looked towards the window and saw it err, jump up and back down again. Get some sleep I thought! Later that day I learned that we in the UK had had a small earthquake. Very rare I know, but others had had similar experiences. So the buildings literally moving makes so much sense! They lived through stuff we can't really begin to imagine in the UK now

[@hanwellfoxfoxy5008]

@@nickbarber2080 My old fella lived in Spencer Street Southall in WW2 and unknown to him and his family they moved an anti aircraft gun on a railway carriage onto the siding at the back of his house to protect the gas works, The first time they let rip the muzzle blast brought the lath and plaster ceiling down on him and his brother laying in bed. Also the back windows of my mums house in Ealing were blown in by a VI detonating in 1944 then the front windows by a V2 about a year later and quite a few houses still have a slight curve in the bay window brickwork from that second one

[@sharonclaridge]

This is the sort of thing that should be on the tele instead of all that celebrity stuff. Really interesting, thanks Roger :)

[@callumbush1]

I once dug up over 1000 of those bricks whilst digging out foundations I sold them for good money!

[@harveysmith100]

That was your best video on brickwork Roger. As an old trowel I don't always agree with you when it comes to brickwork but you have done the bricklayers proud with that video. We get a lot of stick as a trade but everyone who complains about us goes home to a house built by a bricklayer. Even the highest office in the land, 10 Downing St was built by a few humble bricklayers. (Flemish bond.) I used to go into London on the train as a young man. I would look out of the window and all you could see was brickwork. Billions of bricks, mostly London Stocks. I would think of all the bricklayer that built all this work. Then the train would be near the end of it's journey and Battersea Power Station would come into view. As a young bricklayer this building was as impressive as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Looking forward to Hampton Court Palace. I was lucky to do a proper apprenticeship at NESCOT, they took us on a day trip to to Hampton Court to inspire us. It worked. I have returned there many times to marvel at the brickwork.

[@gee3883]

I went to Nesctot, brilliant place.

[@harveysmith100]

@@gee3883 What years were you there? You are correct, it was a brilliant place to learn, I was an Epsom lad so it was the natural place for me but I didn't know how lucky I was to go there. Great training.

[@rich8037]

And have you seen Cambridge University Library? First time I saw it I immediately thought of Battersea Power Station and guess what? Same architect. Similarly hugely impressive.

[@harveysmith100]

@@rich8037 Good shout, just had a look online. I will have to visit that. Art Deco which you would expect for the period and architect but they have a few renaissance features which is a nod to the surrounding buildings.

[@Finderskeepers.]

It saddens me to see the "It will do" approach dominating the construction industry today. So few now see the skill of the best in trade. The image I picture of brickwork are the industrial Victorian chimneys. Whilst it was sad to see them being taken down it was a pleasure to watch Fred Dibnah at work and hear both his passion and knowledge of how these brick built skyscrapers of the day were built.

[@HughJeffreys]

Loved the walk around, you should certainly do more of these. Many people do walk arounds but none go into the architectural details.

[@mattvjmeasures]

Joolz Guides does a bit

[@cropstar]

That was a really interesting video! Thanks for that. You kept a dull man entertained. Back in the 90's I used to have wild nights out on the lash on Friday. Now I watch video's about bricks!

[@willbee6785]

😂

[@thomaschapple4749]

A few years ago this would have been a BBC Documentary with a big budget. Nowadays all it needs is a phone, a selfie stick and a talented narrator.. with a bit of post production on a home computer. Great video.

[@harrysmith3606]

I love this combination of first-hand trade experience, historical knowledge, and a genuine appreciation for craftsmanship. From one Londoner to another, keep up the great work!! 🙌

[@GordonFlash1983]

This is the most informative programme on London's buildings I've ever seen.

[@charlescoulson]

Hi Roger, I too was a child of the 50s and your recollection of playing in bombed out buildings was part of my memory as well. Your explanation of the patina of bricks is masterful. I had never realised the origins of these wonderful icons of Victorian/Edwardian building.. Great video and great history lesson. Thanks.

[@Robwakefieldcreative]

*looks at field "this was all houses when I was a lad"

[@Me-zo8yc]

😆

[@WhatTheHellMang]

@Robwakefieldcreative normally you hear the exact opposite! Certainly a lot of houses I see now are on fields I used to play on as a kid.

[@carolcooks1208]

The Richard Attenborough of bricks and buildings !

[@carpathiangirl8460]

Never thought a presentation on bricks would hold my interest. I love your passion for your subject.

[@Czechbound]

To a layperson, this was very interesting. The BBC should have you doing an architectural walking tour of London, taking in all the different regions of the city. That was really fantastic Roger. I think many more people than you realise are very interested in this sort of thing. Here in Prague, the "Club of Old Prague" organises architectural walking tours, and they sell out very quickly. And there is a fantastic public accessible urban planning institute right in the centre of the city that has fantastic multimedia events all with the aim of geting the public engaged with how the city develops. It would make a very interesting visit to come to Prague. Reach out !

[@robsterenborg]

Thank you for these walkarounds! Really nice opportunity to see a different part of London

[@duncan649]

Like you Roger, I'm London born and bred. I noticed the London bricks were distinctive from the rest of the country and they give the city it's unique character. After 50 odd years, after watching your superb video, I've finally learnt the history of London bricks. Thank you.

[@Enig_Mata]

I always thought those London brick buildings were so dirty and off-putting. Who knew that just a 20 minute video could turn that all around. Excellent video!

[@BritishBeachcomber]

I am also London born and bred. I remember the bombed out houses. I love the dirty old London stocks. They last forever, unlike modern clay bricks that flake.

[@tattyshoesshigure5731]

Fascinating video! I worked for many years as a TV news broadcast engineer & would often be assigned to Downing Street. I was always puzzled by the black bricks on #10 & 11, thinking the builders had actually used black bricks to build the houses. Even up close it’s not at all obvious the bricks are painted, so thanks for solving that particular mystery for me!

[@mbenn8168]

Roger channelling his inner Fred Dibnah. Come on Channel 5, give this man a history of building series! Great stuff.

[@busterbiloxi3833]

Brilliant. I grew up in a brick hose in a brick neighbourhood and this man is a living national treasure.

[@PratabAli]

This sort of historical information video is what makes me thankful for the Internet. Long before I was born, my grandad worked in brick works in Bedfordshire somewhere. Thank you.

[@James_Egan]

Nice one Roger. I really enjoyed this video!

[@bluedaybae8393]

We need historical documentaries presented by this man

[@user-bf3pc2qd9s]

Superb, thank you. I remember when the buildings in central London were being cleaned of years of dmog and grime.. visitors now would not believe how filthy those imposing buildings were before cleaning.

[@cd0u50c9]

'Never paint yer bricks' the only decent thing to ever come out of a politician's mouth. Love that area around Clerkenwell, lots of hidden gems around there. Class video mate.

[@ianwhunter1]

Man finds beauty in anything he gives his attention to. I love to observe and appreciate the ingenuity of the built environment. Your tour of the brick industry of the past, informing our present and future was fascinating Roger. It is interesting to see how an environment can contribute to the development of an adult almost as much as the family and community in which that development occurs. Thanks for sharing your personal history.

[@timothywalsh4230]

Thanks Roger, fantastic. i live in Australia and always are fascinated by your productions. You can do as many of these building history topics as you like. Cheers Tim.

[@SkillBuilder]

Glad you like them!

[@marieravening927]

As an Australian born of English parents, I'm always fascinated by stories around historical places in England. My parents came to OZ as children in the 1920's. From my English in laws, I learned a lot about London during the war as they had lived through it in their 20's. So much history is embedded in those bricks.

[@nickbarber2080]

Even if you've lived in London all your life,and think you know the place....there's always something new to learn. Thank you,sir!

[@jamblpaints8453]

The timing of this video is uncanny. Just got into a hotel near crystal palace after going for a walk with my girlfriend noticing the colours of the bricks

[@pluffer241]

Precognition

[@gaugeonesteam]

You've got me really interested in brick bonds recently. I saw one here in Bournemouth today which is like "double flemish bond" header stretcher stretcher, header stretcher, stretcher. offset on the next row. "Beales" department store which was rebuilt after WW2 bomb raid.

[@paul756uk2]

Interesting that. I was in Bournemouth about a month ago, waiting for my wife and looked up to one of the buildings above the shops. It was like looking into different era. The architecture and condition of the building was amazing. Its Richmond gardens, the building is called Dalkeith buildings.

[@mrBmi222]

That's 'Monk bond'

[@tessjuel]

@@mrBmi222 I've seen some walls with a bond similar to monk bond except the offset between the layers is completely random so rather than have the headers lined up vertically, they are all over the place with no noticeable pattern. Is there a name for that bond?

[@coolmarkyt]

I used to work in that modernist block on Russell Square. Apparently the architect was a pioneer of computer design and also worked on the design and effects in the first Alien film. His widow lived in the penthouse on the top floor

[@CRAZYCR1T1C]

What a brilliant video on Londons history. What make it more interesting is a builders point of view. You and robin are knocking balls out of the park with these quality contents.

[@misterbacon4933]

Please make more about historical building methods and materials! It's really a gem episode! You are in your elements. You can really explain in a clear and pleasant way. Also the mixture of recent and historical facts makes these episodes very exciting!

[@esparks5893]

Great video! The architecture in London is 2nd to none. I lived there for 8 years and would get off at random tube stops and walk around admiring the workmanship and detail that went into the buildings. As Roger said tourists are oblivious to most of it outside the usual known tourist spots.

[@SkillBuilder]

So true, people go to the main attractions, take a selfie and move on.

[@excession3076]

@@SkillBuilder Time restraints, ignorance, lack of knowledgeable guides, ect. Plus, the UK is expensive, it's a trip of a lifetime for many and some (a lot) of the reward is going back home and showing where you have been. I don't think the relatives looking at photos back home would be that impressed if instead of snaps of "Buck House" they brought home pictures of bricks, lol. (My husband's a coach driver, never underestimate the tourists' desire to tick off a list of "been there, done that" and pictures to prove it)

[@sixcylinders6346]

What an absolutely fascinating video. Thank you Roger. I’m 67 years old and never knew that the name dustmen derived from that.

[@ianbooth3164]

Enjoyed this more than I expected. Some of those London squares look fantastic.

[@lg5819]

I really enjoyed watching this video Roger about some of London’s beautiful historic architecture. I never realised the humble brick, the staple of the Industrial Revolution has so much history involving different manufacturing processes to make them suitable for historic buildings. As for todays housing, I hate new builds with a passion because so many buildings get planning permission that blight our landscape, especially in parts of London. I just hope builders, architects in the future will construct new housing that have more character and style in keeping with Britains heritage that sets us apart and makes London feel like London again. At least, in places like Poundbury and Nansledan in Cornwall new towns are being built that look like quality builds instead of Lego houses constructed from an flat pack in a short space of time.

[@970357ers]

The same again across various UK towns and cities of architectural/historical merit would be good!

[@diabolicalartificer]

Used to work on building sites decades ago, I still can't help looking at brickwork & stonework 3 decades on. Boring to most but still holds a deep fascination for me. Grand video, thanks.

[@jamesspencer2098]

Roger I love this content! As a builder I love working on old builds. It's as close to time travelling I'll ever get. I've learnt alot from this thanks

[@JohnnyMotel99]

I know the yellow bricks well and I always did wonder why they are so irregular looking...now I know! Also the yellow brick makes for a more restful facade.

[@alantheskinhead]

I live in London and often forget to look up above the crap shopfronts and detritus and find interesting stuff. In London we have everything from Roman bricks from the city walls to Yellow Stock which I call "Yellow Mellows" and Red standards. It's the bomb damage that make it more interesting as you can see where the bomb dropped, what damage it did by the size of the bomb and what was replaced. More often than not you can see both sides of road and work out total destruction to modest repairs. You can walk around anywhere residential in London and say "Nice house, nice house, bomb, nice house"! Incidentally I worked in Whitehall and No10 as a buildings manager and that row of houses were built on the cheap. The house at the front nearly fell down through rot. London is unique as you can almost work out the expansion of small areas of London by what the bricks are. It does help having a builder explain stuff as well like frogs, stretchers and headers etc...

[@BillDavies-ej6ye]

Coming from Middlesex, west of London, I love the yellow bricks on older buildings. The clay had more lime or chalk, and less iron oxide (which gives the red colour - think rust), and the bits of flammable material ('rubbish') in the unfired brick that Roger mentions causing porosity and resistance to frost damage after firing. Nice video, Roger, keep 'em coming.

[@martijnkeisers5900]

Greetings from my yellow brick flat from 1923 in Amsterdam!

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Roger, great tour/history. More of these please. It's the off-the-beaten-path tours that are always the most interesting.

[@bsastarfire250]

I found this very interesting. I grew up in Murston, Kent , where there were several brickfields and many bricks used in the construction of London were made. Thames barges were used to transport rubbish out of London and return with loads of bricks or other goods. My mother's family were Londoners and were bombed in WW1 and WW2. My playground was the disused brickfields until I moved to Northampton in the seventies.

[@Tomas-ml9nv]

Incredibly interesting, please do more of these videos!

[@misterwireless5700]

Wonderful walk through and narration, learnt a lot

[@richardmiziniak4149]

depth of your knowledge is phenomenal . I am " Polish builder" and I am in awe of English or maybe British (Irish) bricklayers skill and perfection . see Ashley Gardens in Victoria London

[@gee3883]

if you want to get better at bricklaying buy the Nash books on brickwork 1,2,3. good luck.

[@WillN2Go1]

Speaking of bomb damage. Just down Russel Square Street from the Fitzroy 11:25 is the street corner where Leo Szilard waiting to cross the street had one of the key ideas that led to the atomic bomb. 12 September 1933 A neutron smashing into the nuclei of another atom would release two or more neutrons, which would hit more atoms... runaway chain reaction... Bricks are an amazing topic. Every brick has history in it. I remember going around Detroit with my dad, a contractor, trying to find bricks that matched the bricks on a house he was adding on to. Learned a lot of history about brick making just in Detroit. Clippard Commons. We visited that yard just as operations ceased, and it was about to be cleared away. I later saw these bricks all over Detroit.

[@fivestarmichael]

This video randomly popped up in my feed and it is so fascinating. Definitely subscribing to this channel. I'm an American living in Warsaw, Poland which has many brick buildings and I have always been curious about their construction. You have answered so many questions. I've only been to London once and it was a short stay and didn't get to see a lot of the city. Hope to go back and see more.

[@smfvmd]

Great talk, Roger. Thanks.

[@AnthonyMcRedmond-Vg2ry]

Love these old London houses best wishes from Dublin great video

[@SkillBuilder]

I will be in Dublin soon

[@GraimearGaeilge]

Good stuff​ Roger, I owe you dinner and a drink for all the fantastic videos you have made, you've also replaced my telly too, watch em all the time! I really enjoy them. Thank you

[@nigeljames1109]

This is one of the best videos I have seen about the buildings in London. The production of bricks locally to the build site is something I have never heard of before. Fascinating. More please.

[@highdownmartin]

I’m a fan of yellow London bricks. Puts you in an area. Same as stone buildings, midlands red brick. Engineering blue brick. Cob cottages, flint walls or Kentish shiplap. You only have to go fifty miles and the geology and the building materials have changed along with the local accent. Fascinating video.

[@hungbearlover]

This is excellent, thanks for your effort and time.

[@The_Voice_of_Reason748]

Wicked presentation, really interesting, thanks 👍

[@marcoholt1847]

Thanks Roger & Team, who would have thought a film on bricks could be so interesting. Shows what you can do when you frame a topic in such a clever way.

[@franconianable]

Excellent. London is a fascinating city. My first days when I visited in 1989 were spent wandering for hours looking mainly at the architechture. Many thanks.

[@janoginski5557]

That was brilliant Roger. Really interesting. 🤙

[@Me-zo8yc]

Interesting bit of history there thanks Roger!

[@boensaw5175]

Thanks for putting this together. Super interesting, it's amazing how much history there is just embedded in these regular old bricks

[@charliespence5962]

Loving this type of content Roger, keep at it! This is your calling.

[@gordonmackenzie4512]

Very interesting indeed, thank you. I’m about 650 miles north of London, where brick was very rare as a building material. The most northerly brickworks, at Brora, was the only available source, but that is 50 miles north of here. Not a subject I know anything much about.

[@TheoneandonlyRAH]

this is fascinating!! well done mate

[@TheoneandonlyRAH]

@buildshow this is fascinating

[@TheMrsim75]

Great informative video Roger. It’s a pleasure listening to your vast knowledge and insight. More of this please.

[@timothyquinn4870]

Fascinating bit of history. Your channel is always entertaining and a great learning experience. Keep up the great work!

[@WyldeDay]

A great educational video. Thank you, Roger 😊

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

Great video SB 🙌🏻 Can’t beat a wander about London admiring the buildings.

[@neilrafferty2097]

Too true

[@martinwarner1178]

Maybe not in the dark though.

[@Ultimate-roofing-square.]

@@martinwarner1178 most of London is great at night, but definitely avoid a few parts.

[@trayankarastoyanov688]

Thank you for sharing with us your expertise! I kept on watching with full interest through the whole video and didn't skip ones. Thank you and please don't stop sharing!

[@somedude-lc5dy]

great video. I love the mix of practical how-to videos and historical perspective on buildings

[@JohnPatersonAu]

I'll never look at bricks the same way again. 👍

[@Mark-gf7yw]

That was brilliant, thanks Roger 👍

[@johnpage9472]

Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner that I love London Town…❤🇬🇧

[@petrichor649]

That was super interesting and I learnt loads, thanks.

[@johncrofts4393]

Really enjoyed that, Roger. Our house was built in 1902 using bricks made at a brickworks less than a quarter of a mile away. There were two pairs of semis built as estate workers' houses. There's some lovely dragon's teeth courses, which were totally unnecessary, but they did it to show off their skills.

[@SkillBuilder]

Hi John That is what I really love. If you look at an old Victorian pumping station there was no need whatsoever to put in all that architectural detail but they understood how buildings shape our lives.

[@johncrofts4393]

​@@SkillBuilderThere's a lot of houses in Kenilworth built using the same bricks. Tradesmen hate having to core drill them as the bits get burnt out as they're so hard. 😂

[@RR-mt2wp]

Great history of London, Roger.

[@ClaireWaring-v6y]

This is such an enjoyable video - great knowledge - thank you for sharing.

[@bazerwazer6180]

Fascinating Roger, you do these videos brilliantly. Thank you.

[@simonirvine1628]

Very good episode..

[@lazylad8544]

Roaming Rodger goes walkabout in London. Hope the price of a beer didn't upset him too much.

[@SkillBuilder]

That pub is not that expensive and the food was good.

[@peterburgess2439]

God bless wetherspoons ​@@SkillBuilder

[@johnwolcot]

Thanks for this as it was really relaxing and interesting to watch.

[@badbiker666]

I can hardly believe how much I enjoyed this video! I learned more about brick making and brick construction than I ever thought possible. Plus, how wonderful to learn it from someone who is so passionate about the topic. This gentleman really knows how to tie the historical and technical details together into quite the fascinating narrative. You can bet you earned a new subscriber, Sir!

[@RS20O0]

Loved this video, think I'm getting old ha ha, but I've always had a fascination with bricks and London yellow stocks in particular. All the Smeed Dean yellow stocks came from Sittingbourne, and they're still being manufactured, shaped like boats which is challenging for a DIYer, but I built my double garage out of them and love them. The ash and clinker markings give them loads of character.

[@SkillBuilder]

That is interesting, I am thinking they were shipped around and up the Thames.

[@RS20O0]

@@SkillBuilder yeah, bricks and all sorts of building materials were loaded up on barges and taken up the river Medway and Thames estuary into London. An old boy in the local care home used to run those barges and was telling me all about it. They had deals with the police to supply them free petrol (as they also delivered fuel) in exchange for various privileges. It was proper fascinating to hear.

[@stefanzborowskiful]

I've just bought my first house, in Sittingbourne. It was built by a bargee and is built out of these old london stocks (likely rejects as it's rendered.) I've also had the chance to spend a month working at the Smeed Dean works fixing the machine and kiln. The bricks literally built this town and they're still going nearly two centuries later

[@RS20O0]

@@stefanzborowskiful owned by Wienerberger now and all in metric, though the huge variation in shape and size makes that a fairly mute point. I did some house hunting in Sittingbourne a few years back and there looked to be a lot of 1970's tile clad Wimpey homes. Might be a good shout for @Skillbuilder to film a tour round that Smeed Dean site as I believe they offer tours.

[@Graham_Shaw]

Love these Walk N' Talk videos Roger, facinating stuff!

[@JustaGuess.]

Brilliant video, keep doing more of these please.

[@bigblue1972]

brilliant rodger thanks mate ,your always full of great information